OK, OK, I'll Post

I know I've been a bit slow to post this summer, but did you really need to send Mother Nature after me?

I checked RADAR to see what kind of weather I would be sleeping to. Well, there was this little green dot due west of here. Just a green dot, that's all.

A few minutes later, as I was about to shut down, that green dot had become a big green dab with hints of orange and it started moving, well kind of slumping along in a north-easterly direction. No problem, I am east of it.

I check the local TV's web site--they had just put up a severe thunderstorm watch. The dot was now a blob with lots of orange and red. A bluish tint was forming in the middle. Still headed NNE.

I'm not worried, the sky is clear blue with just a wisp of cloud from what I can see out my east-facing door. But, what's that rumble? TV site now says tornado warning! Take cover immediately!

No worry, it's ten to fifteen miles west of me and only includes the NW corner of my county and it's headed NNE. RADAR! Blob is now a big blob with lots of red and a humungus purple center.

No problem, it's headed NNE, and I'm still mostly east of it. Tornado warning extended many times by chronometer and by map. but what's the new warning? It stalled and is dumping buckets of rain ("Pitchforks and hammer handles", my mom would say). Flood warnings are out because the blob is dumping rain on these poor folks at about three inches per hour. We don't get flood warnings here.

I'm not worried. Sure I'll get some rain because, after all, I am on the fringes of this thing. It had moved NNE somewhat, before it stalled and I am East of it. Besides, my elevation is considerable higher than the storm center and the water will run west to the Red River of the North. I'm not worried.

Then it moved! New direction! South! Pivoting over me.

It's been about four hours. In such a short time a little dot grew into a major storm leaving who-knows-what behind. It is finally leaving. I see on RADAR that it has joined up with a bigger system that had seemed to be out of the picture before Dot began. Apparently, it had other ideas. I think it will be passing south to the east of me.

The time is a little past midnight. It's gone. I can sleep now.

Next morning:

2.5 inches of rain.

Lightening didn't stop until the sun came up.

Houses and barns knocked down about ten to fifteen miles west of me.

I'm OK.